Russian President
Vladimir Putin
left a weekend meeting in Australia of the world’s wealthy and developing nations ahead of other world leaders Sunday, after facing stiff criticism over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis.

As leaders gathered for a meeting of the Group of 20 major economies in Brisbane, British Prime Minister
David Cameron
took a swipe at Moscow and threatened tougher sanctions against Russia, while his Canadian counterpart
Stephen Harper
told Mr. Putin to “get out of Ukraine” amid unconfirmed reports of Russian troops and tanks entering Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine loomed over the weekend forum, as world leaders met to sign off on a target of global growth of 2% or more by 2018, agreed in February during a meeting of world finance ministers.

The leaders of the U.S., Australia and Japan on Sunday issued a joint statement saying they agreed on “bringing to justice those responsible for the downing of Flight MH17” in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and other nations have accused Russia of stoking violence that led to the shooting down of the
Malaysia Airlines
flight in July by Moscow-backed separatists, killing all 298 people on board. Russia has rejected any link to the shooting down of the airliner, as well as accusations of sending troops and armored vehicles into Ukraine.

In the lead-up to the G-20 meeting, Australia’s navy tracked a small but powerful Russian fleet making its way south in international waters off Australia’s northeast coast, led by a missile cruiser and accompanying destroyer, with two support ships. The Russian Embassy said the ships were researching climate change.